AN EARLY display of power from the plate gave Adamson University (AdU) the win via mercy rule, as the Lady Eagles dropped their tenth match, 1-17, in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 80 Softball tournament on Saturday, February 24 at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Manila.
Pitted against the league’s defending champions, the Lady Eagles fell victim to an onslaught of hits at the top of the first, where the Lady Falcons dealt most of their damage. Two home-runs and a near double rotation of their batting order highlighted a 13-run blowout that set the tone for the rest of an eventual four-inning game.
AdU wasted no time in asserting their dominance as Jemete Rusia fired the first shots of war, clearing the bases with a double that made it a 0-2 game. A walk on Flor Pabiania added an extra runner on base to set the stage for Gelyn Lamata, who knocked one over the fence for a 3-run homer to make it 0-5 on the board.
Despite going up 0-5 with just one out, the Lady Falcons stepped on the gas, with the succeeding batter Nichole Padasas following up with a consecutive solo-shot over the fence to make it 0-6.
The barrage of runs forced Coach Joy Lasquite to make an early change on the mound, subbing starting pitcher Kaira Ventosa for Nicki Borromeo.
The Adamson side, however, was unfazed by the switch and added another run as their batting order returned to its leadoff. Infield errors then plagued the infield to force the Lady Eagles to concede another run, while another single from Rusia slammed another two runs in to make it a 0-10 game.
Lamata’s second at bat within the same inning saw her score another RBI with a pop-up in left field, with Padasas then capitalizing on further infield errors to score their last two runs at top of the first. Down 0-13 by their first at-bat, the Lady Eagles struggled to respond as the Lady Falcons tallied three more runs in the second inning, and one more in the third to make it 0-17.
By the bottom of the fourth, the Lady Eagles needed at least three runs to prevent a 15-run deficit for mercy rule. Angel Africa sparked a rally with a well-placed hit in shallow left-field, while Lucia Lorenzo knocked a solid grounder back and forced a fumble from pitcher Arlyn Bautista to put two runners on base. A solid roller from Mia Laurel then escaped the infield to give Africa the green light, nabbing Ateneo their only run of the game.
Despite finally heating up at the plate four innings into the game, the Blue Eagles were stopped short, as a hard shot from Kat Santos was fielded perfectly to give Adamson the final out of the game and the win via mercy rule.
The loss puts the Lady Eagles at a 0-10 record in the tournament.
The team faces its second to the last chance to scrape a win this season against the University of the East on Monday, February 26.
